English Immersion in Ethiopia: An Explorative Survey of Bilingual Education Typology

Abstract

The general objective of this qualitative research was to explore and describe the
immersion program of the English-medium private primary schools of Addis Ababa. Out of
the two hundred and thirty nine private primary schools, which are operational currently,
fifteen schools were selected for a general observation. Thirty-two participants were also
purposively selected and interviewed. The data collected through the observation and
interview methods were thematically analyzed and interpreted within the theoretical
framework of an immersion program. The findings of the explorative survey have shown
that the program of the English-medium private primary schools of Addis Ababa could
be labeled as an English Immersion; the schools may as well be called English Immersion
Schools. The model is identified as an Early-Partial Typology of Immersion. Better
academic and economic advantages were found to be the major motivational forces
behind the program. The absence of locally prepared English-Immersion textbooks was
spotted as one of the major challenges.